An Arab-Made Misery

It is time for the Arab world to truly help the Palestinians, not use them.

International donors pledged almost $4.5 billion in aid for Gaza earlier this month. It has been very painful for me to witness over the past few years the deteriorating humanitarian situation in that narrow strip where I lived as a child in the 1950s.

The media tend to attribute Gaza's decline solely to Israeli military and economic actions against Hamas. But such a myopic analysis ignores the problem's root cause: 60 years of Arab policy aimed at cementing the Palestinian people's status as stateless refugees in order to use their suffering as a weapon against Israel.

As a child in Gaza in the 1950s, I experienced the early results of this policy. Egypt, which then controlled the territory, conducted guerrilla-style operations against Israel from Gaza. My father commanded these operations, carried out by Palestinian fedayeen, Arabic for "self-sacrifice." Back then, Gaza was already the front line of the Arab jihad against Israel. My father was assassinated by Israeli forces in 1956.

It was in those years that the Arab League started its Palestinian refugee policy. Arab countries implemented special laws designed to make it impossible to integrate the Palestinian refugees from the 1948 Arab war against Israel. Even descendants of Palestinian refugees who are born in another Arab country and live there their entire lives can never gain that country's passport. Even if they marry a citizen of an Arab country, they cannot become citizens of their spouse's country. They must remain "Palestinian" even though they may have never set foot in the West Bank or Gaza.

This policy of forcing a Palestinian identity on these people for eternity and condemning them to a miserable life in a refugee camp was designed to perpetuate and exacerbate the Palestinian refugee crisis.

So was the Arab policy of overpopulating Gaza. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, whose main political support comes from Arab countries, encourages high birth rates by rewarding families with many children. Yasser Arafat said the Palestinian woman's womb was his best weapon.

For 60 years, Palestinians have been used and abused by Arab regimes and Palestinian terrorists in their fight against Israel.

Arab countries always push for classifying as many Palestinians as possible as "refugees." As a result, about one-third of the Palestinians in Gaza still live in refugee camps. For 60 years, Palestinians have been used and abused by Arab regimes and Palestinian terrorists in their fight against Israel.

Now it is Hamas, an Islamist terror organization supported by Iran, which is using and abusing Palestinians for this purpose. While Hamas leaders hid in the well-stocked bunkers and tunnels they prepared before they provoked Israel into attacking them, Palestinian civilians were exposed and caught in the deadly crossfire between Hamas and Israeli soldiers.

As a result of 60 years of this Arab policy, Gaza has become a prison camp for 1.5 million Palestinians. Both Israel and Egypt are fearful of terrorist infiltration from Gaza -- all the more so since Hamas took over -- and have always maintained tight controls over their borders with Gaza. The Palestinians continue to endure hardships because Gaza continues to serve as the launching pad for terror attacks against Israeli citizens. Those attacks come in the form of Hamas missiles that indiscriminately target Israeli kindergartens, homes and businesses.

And Hamas continued these attacks more than two years after Israel withdrew from Gaza in the hope that this step would begin the process of building a Palestinian state, eventually leading to a peaceful, two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There was no "cycle of violence" then, no justification for anything other than peace and prosperity. But instead, Hamas chose Islamic jihad. Gazans' and Israelis' hopes have been met with misery for Palestinians and missiles for Israelis.

Hamas, an Iran proxy, has become a danger not only to Israel, but also to Palestinians as well as to neighboring Arab states, who fear the spread of radical Islam could destabilize their countries.

Arabs claim they love the Palestinian people, but they seem more interested in sacrificing them. If they really loved their Palestinian brethren, they'd pressure Hamas to stop firing missiles at Israel. In the longer term, the Arab world must end the Palestinians' refugee status and thereby their desire to harm Israel. It's time for the 22 Arab countries to open their borders and absorb the Palestinians of Gaza who wish to start a new life. It is time for the Arab world to truly help the Palestinians, not use them.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 33

(31)
Mohiuddin,
June 4, 2012 7:05 AM

Stop all rubbish talks

I read all those and find these as nonsense. How could you suggest other Arab countries to absorb the palestinian people? This would only help to weaken the Palestinians' legitimate demand for their homeland which is now occupied unjustifiedly by Israel. The only solution for peace in middle-east is to give back palestinian people their lands. How is it supportable that the people of a particular religion from all over the world and of different nationality gather in one place, occupy others land by force and ask the deprived people to take shelter in other countires and take thier nationality. Stop all those propaganda, which would not work ever.

Anonymous,
June 5, 2012 7:03 PM

What Palestinian people?

Historical fact: Before the land called Palestine under the British Mandate was divided into Israel and Jordan (roughly30% for a Jewish homeland and 70% for an Arab homeland) there were more Palestinian Jews living in the area of Israel than Palestinian Arabs. The former Pal. Jews are not allowed to live in Jordan, why should former Pal. Arabs be allowed to claim Israel?

(30)
Wassim,
March 30, 2009 6:00 PM

RE: #22 There has to be a different solution

Is it not the case that right now, Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza are living under significantly different circumstances? This might in time prompt some Palestinians to deduce that their livelihood is mainly dependant on their attitude towards their Israeli neighbours. It might just work if Israel can keep the focus on Gaza while showing preferential treatment for the West Bank. It is probably a work in progress, but I worry about all those wildcards, you know, all the small groups on the fringes that seem to be created overnight.

(29)
GENE GOLDENSTEIN,
March 30, 2009 7:17 AM

The Arab countries will not absorb the Palestinians.

There has to be a different solution
the 22 arab countries will "never"
absorb the Palestinians.
Never.

(28)
Seamus MacNemi,
March 29, 2009 9:43 PM

Try talking to an Arab??

My elders taught me that the easiest way to destroy a man was to tell him what he wants to hear and the best way to save him was to tell him what he needs to know. Try telling that to an Arab.

(27)
name,
March 28, 2009 7:40 PM

To be honest, the Palestinians do not deserve help
They have received billions in aid, yet spent it on anything other than the purposes for which it was intended, such as fighting Israel.
The Gazans chose to elect Hamas, knowing full well that they had a policy of conflict with, and no recognition of, Israel.
No other country/territory in the world has had so much assistance, let alone misused it.

(26)
Kat,
March 26, 2009 9:45 PM

21) Wassim

It is loving to consider the enemies plight and where their troubles come from, and we should care about the souls of men.

(25)
Anonymous,
March 26, 2009 9:34 PM

Arab hatred= Koran

I agree except to add that the koran is the reason and the fact that they want all in submission to islam/koran

(24)
Wassim,
March 25, 2009 7:43 PM

response to #22 Ahmed

As far as I'm concerned, they were justified actions. If I was one of them, I wouldn't sit around and wait for the world (or the UN) to help me, not after what the Jews have been through for hundreds of years, and not after being alive for long enough to see just how pathetic most human beings are on issues of justice. The Jews had been denied their rightful homeland by a creation of the Roman Empire (I think it WAS called Palestine - but I'm starting to forget that name). I admire them so much for not letting go even 2000 years later. Long live Israel, the only hope of humanity.

(23)
tali,
March 25, 2009 10:45 AM

more honesty in arab world

If more Arabs would accept that much of their misery is self-made, they could begin to recover. In '48, after the declaration of the State of Israel, Jews were kicked out of Jerusalem's old city where they had lived for centuries, out of Egypt,out of Syria and many other Arab countries- or faced tremendous prosecution and left of their own volition. Where is our refugee porpulation? Our refugee camps? There are none, because the Jews did not whine about a Right of Return, but simply rebuilt their lives and moved on. We need more Arabs such as Nonie Darwish to take a hard look at their own culture and overthrow the cycle of totalitarianism, West and Israel-bashing, and poverty.

(22)
Ahmed,
March 25, 2009 12:23 AM

Isreal

She forgot that the state of Israel came into being using terror against the British and the locals. Many people lost their lives due to these atrocities committed by Jews. Bombing of King David Hotel was equivalent of 9/11 at that time. The same terrorists who committed these crimes became statesmen, presidents and politicians after the formations of Israel. I wonder what she has to say about this.

(21)
Wassim,
March 24, 2009 6:30 PM

This article is NOT brave (no mention of Islam)

Islam is the root of anti-Jewish hatred, not being Arab. Political strategising by the Arab states at the expense of the Palestinian people is completely normal political dynamics on any regional playing field. Off-course the Arab states want to hold on to their totalitarian regimes which rely on their people being kept in the dark ages. When an Arab looks at Israel and sees prosperity and modernity with righteousness and lack of decadance, he will wonder why his country isn't like that. Israel's existence is a direct threat to the Arab totalitarians because Israel's existence in the same desert landscape will undoubtedly evoke jealousy in the mind of the Arab - so much so that he may willingly bring himself out of the dark ages unless his government beats him with a stick! Islam is laced with jealousy of the Jew who is chosen, whose religion is older, whose religion is the foundation of monotheism. The Muslim wishes to elliminate his competition in matters of religion. The Palestinian people are being used, and the tool they are being used with is Islam. Failing to draw a link between the regional politics and Islam renders this article significantly less than brave. Also, pointing the finger at governments for what governments normally do, in the absence of focused international will, is not effective. How effective has the UN been on this issue? When it comes to the Middle East, power comes out of the barrel of a gun... why? because Islam has made the Arab population one-eyed. Islam is against individual thought. You cannot reason with the unreasonable. Don't waste your time trying, certainly not at the expense of your own livelihood. Israel has zero chance of persuading the neighbouring Arab states to change their attitude. So Israel is left with no option other than to assert itself and its existence. If you don't attack Islam for being blatantly anti-Jewish, you're not attacking the root of the problem. Now that would be brave. Why do you concern yourself with the plight of the refugees when you know a significant proportion of those refugees would readily harm you if they could? It is utterly unacceptable for refugees to mount a resistance movement, they should surrender their body, mind, heart and soul and then they can receive the privelleges (not rights) of Jewish humanity and they should remember that they didn't get it from anyone else on the planet.

(20)
Anonymous,
March 24, 2009 11:13 AM

Beverly Kurtin summed it up perfectly......

(19)
Ezza Amittai,
March 23, 2009 11:02 AM

Right!

George Stein made the situation clear to me when he said on the radio, "Israel's message to all Jews is 'If your children need somewhere to run, we will take them'." And as we know, Jewish children and adults have had to run far too many times. The beauty and love in Stein's statement brought tears to my eyes.
If any ONE of the vast, rich, Islamic nations extended this same unconditional offer of sanctuary for their 'brethren', the problem would be solved. It is obvious that Palestinians are pawns in some people's sadistic schemes. Israel has only ever wanted ONE THING: Israel. One small but Holy land. Why is it surprising or unreasonable that they should have it? Most of the world knows the Torah, or the "Old Testament"- they can tell you where Jews came from, and where they have longed for centuries to return to, but these same people are so obtuse when it comes to modern Israel. Israel is Israel is Israel. Take back all the original borders, and make no apologies B"H. Shalom

Jane,
July 15, 2011 9:02 PM

Well Said

Ezza, "You said it!!!!" I could never understand why the average Arabs do not see what their leaders (spiritual, military, royal, wealthy) are doing to them. The hatred for Jews, Israel, America, etc, is misplaced. It is their leaders who deserve they hatred. They need to overthrow them and find new leadership among the educated and progressive technical/business people to bring them out of their poverty and oppression. None of the other nations oppress them. Are the "Palestinians blinded by hate that is fueled by the Arab nations in the area?

(18)
melanie,
March 23, 2009 8:44 AM

abandoned

seems to me that the people of gaza have been abandoned by their own people, they'd do better to accept the rejection and move on spiritually to another way of life. i didn't know that the muslim countries wont accept them in their lands, i'm sure that contravenes the geneva convention.

(17)
misterb,
March 22, 2009 5:27 PM

palestinians r us

The UN should allow anyone in Gaza to leave and help pay for their resettlement anywhere on the globe that needs to populate new territory. Why do they want to stay in such a place ruled by Hamas thugs? They should not be restricted to ONLY the Arab world. They need to leave the middle east as many jews have done, seek a better life elsewhere and leave their oppressors behind.

(16)
dovid benjamin,
March 22, 2009 4:45 PM

To Avraham Broide (#8)

Mr. Broide, the majority of the Arabs in the Gaza Strip are of Egyptian extraction. The majority of the so called Arab Palestinians came from Arab lands. In the time of Bais Rishon and Bais Sheni (the first and second commonwealth) and any time before and in between, there were no Arab residents in Eretz Israel.

(15)
Beverly Kurtin,
March 22, 2009 3:37 PM

Aarrgghhhh!

Give me a break! There ain’t no such thing as a Palestinian. That term belonged to the Jews who had lived in the land now called Israel for 2,000 years. Does anyone recall that the Palestinian Post is now called the Jerusalem Post?
The root of the problem as I see it is that the Arabs hate Israel more than they love their children, that is why mothers send their children out to become homicide bombers. There is no such animal as a suicide bomber. They want to murder as many children, women and men as they can, that is MURDER, not suicide.
Why do the Arab leaders loath Israel? It is because Israel is a thriving 21st century democracy while the Arabs want to remain in the dark ages and keep their people in perpetual serfdom.
Israel is part of Western Civilization. The Arabs cannot stand the West. They want to destroy us who live in the West. They think that they can drag the entire world back to the “good old days” when the Arab leaders held supreme power over their people.
Ironically, many Arab leaders enjoy the fruits of Western Civilization but they do not want their serfs enjoying the same fruits. In short, they are simply despots who still are fighting over who stole whose goat in 1250.
Lest we forget, Arafat was an EGYPTIAN, not a “Palestinian.” The only cure for the current mess is for the world to stop swallowing the propaganda that flows out of the mouths of Arab leaders and understand the truth.
I am old enough to remember that there was a time when a person could go to the airport and load an aircraft without having to go through hours of security checks. People forget that we are all unconvinced because of the actions of the Arabs and that we are being held prisoners to the whims of Arabs who control OPEC.
Israelis and the Jews have contributed much to the world that has made our lives easier, our health better and in general the world is a better place because of Israel.
The world is a much nastier place because Arabs cause us grief, yet much of the world falls for the Arab propaganda. They world is a very stupid place.

(14)
jacobo lashak-korogodsky,
March 22, 2009 2:55 PM

THE ECUATION BETWEN THE MUSLIM WORLD AND ISRAEL.

THE MUSLIM WORLD IS 1500 MILLIONIM PEOPLE STRONG,MORE THAN THE CATHOLICS OF THE GERMAN POPE,THEY HAVE LAND OVER 30 MILLIONIM SQ-KILOMETRIM MORE THAN ALL AFRICAN CONTINENT, AND A GDP (PPP)EQUIVALENT TO CHINA, 7,5 TRILLIONIM INTERNATIONAL DOLLARIM,WITH SOME OF THE RICHEST PER-CAPITA COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD, QATAR 100,000 DOLLARIM PER.CAPITA , KUWAIT 60,800, UAE 40400, BAHRAIN 37,200,SAUDI ARABIA 31,300,OMAN 20,400..... AND SOME OF THE POOREEST OF THE POOR. IN THE OTHER HAND ,ISRAEL IS THE #52 ECONOMY OF THE WORLD, THE #153 IN LAND AND #97 IN POPULATION. IT IS APARENT NO MATCH, BUT WE HAVE THE ARCHITECT OF THE UNIVERSE IN OUR SIDE.SHALOM ALEIJEM.

(13)
Betty,
March 22, 2009 2:33 PM

Bravo

The simple truth would change everything---Why not publicize the truth? This act of publicizing the Gaza truth---would save the lives of many. Yet Obamo knows and still talks of a two state solution. Why?

(12)
Manjula,
March 22, 2009 2:21 PM

Intelligence Plus Objectivtiy = Realism

The author combines intelligence, experience and honesty to present the world with an objective and realistic perspective of the Arab-Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

(11)
Clio,
March 22, 2009 1:34 PM

Think of what the state of the world would be if the millions of Germans expelled from Pomerania, East Prussia, and Silesia had been kept as refugees ever since and denied employment in Germany or other states. That was a much bigger problem by far than the "palestinian" problem, yet it was resolved peacefully.

(10)
Bill Josephs,
March 22, 2009 1:20 PM

When was it not time?

Throughout 60 years, it was always time for Arabs to stand up for their brothers and sisters. They never did and if only by sheer force of habit (and teaching hatred to their children) never will. All the good intentions of Nonie Darwish and moderate Arab counterparts are 'warm fuzzies' that go unheeded by relatively the most "liberal" Arab states, including the Saudi's who have the most to gain by heeding such excellent advice but never do. No countries such as Jordan, which is Palestine, have been able to seduce the remaining Arabs in Israel to get up and move. Golda Meir's statement about Palestinians loving their children more than hating Israel is as accurate today as it was nearly a half-century ago.
The only solution is constant vigilance and preparation. Otherwise, Darwish for President of the United Arab Republic (oh wait a minute, it doesn't exist and when it did, it surely coordinated hate Israel efforts).

(9)
em,
March 22, 2009 1:18 PM

Nonie, you write with such courage, honesty, and love!

May G-d always protect you and bless you.

(8)
Avraham Broide,
March 22, 2009 12:53 PM

minor quibble

Just for the record, Mrs Darwish is not a Palestinian as one might construe from this article. She was born in Egypt and lived in Gaza after her father was sent there by the Egyptian army.

(7)
Barry E Lerner,
March 22, 2009 12:07 PM

The elephant in the room

Yes, yes, yes, we all know this. What the writer omits is the fundamentalist Islamic imperative to impose thair faith on the rest of the world, starting with what they consider "their" land, i.e. Israel. As long as the religious fanatics receive either overt support or tacit acquiescence in their aggresion, there can be no two-state solution, the situation can be resolved only when one side destroys the other.

(6)
Anonymous,
March 22, 2009 11:38 AM

thanks for the wonderful insight! very good article. not too much bashing .not interested in those articles.

(5)
Anonymous,
March 22, 2009 11:29 AM

The Arabs caused the misery on Gaza - not the Israaelis!!

Terrific article, that appeared in the Wall Street Journal on March 18th. What is so amazing is that the author (Nonie Darwish) is a Palestinian woman that grew up in Gaze during the 1950s. Her father planned the terrorist attacks against Israel during the 1950, and her father was later killed by Israeli forces. So the author's perspective is even more remarkable becayse she has seen the changes over 60 years.

(4)
Sherry,
March 22, 2009 11:24 AM

I have highest respect for this writer

Blessings to this writer for her intelligent article.

(3)
Graham R-B,
March 22, 2009 10:44 AM

Darwish's Beautiful but Futile Call

While I applaud this heartening call for a new order of conditions for the 'Palestinian' Arabs, their horrible condition is too valuable a weapon for Hamas and its fellow Islamists to abandon. Doing so would put them 'out of business' and they know no other.
It took WWII to dethrone the infamous dictators of Germany and Japan. Hamas will require nothing less than a military defeat for it to give up control of those it continues to oppress. The hearts and minds of these oppressed people have been brainwashed into supporting their oppressors with a warped 'religious' fervor which would only succumb to a second coming of a peaceful Mohammed. Don't hold your breath.
If a man warns you of his intention to massacre you and your fellow men, it is your duty to go forward and kill him.

(2)
Dvirah,
March 22, 2009 8:46 AM

Honor and Long Life to the Author

All honor to the brave person who wrote this! May she reap only rewards.

(1)
Anonymous,
March 22, 2009 6:36 AM

Thank you for this honest and extremely important article. It is a "must-read" for those in the West who fall prey to pro-Palestinian/anti-Israeli "journalism".

I've been striving to get more into spirituality. But it seems that every time I make some progress, I find myself slipping right back to where I started. I'm getting discouraged and feel like a failure. Can you help?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Spiritual slumps are a natural part of spiritual growth. There is a cycle that people go through when at times they feel closer to God and at times more distant. In the words of the Kabbalists, it is "two steps forward and one step back." So although you feel you are slipping, know that this is a natural process. The main thing is to look at your overall progress (over months or years) and be able to see how far you've come!

This is actually God's ingenious way of motivating us further. The sages compare this to teaching a baby how to walk. When the parent is holding on, the baby shrieks with delight and is under the illusion that he knows how to walk. Yet suddenly, when the parent lets go, the child panics, wobbles and may even fall.

At such times when we feel spiritually "down," that is often because God is letting go, giving us the great gift of independence. In some ways, these are the times when we can actually grow the most. For if we can move ourselves just a little bit forward, we truly acquire a level of sanctity that is ours forever.

Here is a practical tool to help pull you out of the doldrums. The Sefer HaChinuch speaks about a great principle in spiritual growth: "The external awakens the internal." This means that although we may not experience immediate feelings of closeness to God, eventually, by continuing to conduct ourselves in such a manner, this physical behavior will have an impact on our spiritual selves and will help us succeed. (A similar idea is discussed by psychologists who say: "Smile and you will feel happy.")

That is the power of Torah commandments. Even if we may not feel like giving charity or praying at this particular moment, by having a "mitzvah" obligation to do so, we are in a framework to become inspired. At that point we can infuse that act of charity or prayer with all the meaning and lift it can provide. But if we'd wait until being inspired, we might be waiting a very long time.

May the Almighty bless you with the clarity to see your progress, and may you do so with joy.

In 1940, a boatload 1,600 Jewish immigrants fleeing Hitler's ovens was denied entry into the port of Haifa; the British deported them to the island of Mauritius. At the time, the British had acceded to Arab demands and restricted Jewish immigration into Palestine. The urgent plight of European Jewry generated an "illegal" immigration movement, but the British were vigilant in denying entry. Some ships, such as the Struma, sunk and their hundreds of passengers killed.

If you seize too much, you are left with nothing. If you take less, you may retain it (Rosh Hashanah 4b).

Sometimes our appetites are insatiable; more accurately, we act as though they were insatiable. The Midrash states that a person may never be satisfied. "If he has one hundred, he wants two hundred. If he gets two hundred, he wants four hundred" (Koheles Rabbah 1:34). How often have we seen people whose insatiable desire for material wealth resulted in their losing everything, much like the gambler whose constant urge to win results in total loss.

People's bodies are finite, and their actual needs are limited. The endless pursuit for more wealth than they can use is nothing more than an elusive belief that they can live forever (Psalms 49:10).

The one part of us which is indeed infinite is our neshamah (soul), which, being of Divine origin, can crave and achieve infinity and eternity, and such craving is characteristic of spiritual growth.

How strange that we tend to give the body much more than it can possibly handle, and the neshamah so much less than it needs!